The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-12-03
ALAskA's ~ResouRcrs.

AlAskA's ResouRcEs.
A Old Black Huls Miners rxper,en.. :,
the Far Away Territory.
III me course of my travels l found
my way to Alaska, and thinking some
VI your readers might be interested in
TINS wonderful, far-away country. /
detail a few Of my own personal ex.
Periehces since coming here last spring.
on April "a we landed here and on
May .. in company with a small party.
leit juneau for the interior of Alaska,
at the headwatcrs of Lynn Channel, a
place called Chilcoot. We left the salt
water and crossed the Alaskan range Of
mountains, and before we were aware
OF 1t were travelling on ice on the head.
waters OF the great Yukon river. We
made about two hundred miles on ice
inc then stopped to build small boats.
which we launched and went down the
river for six hundred miles, when we
rounded to and sailed into the mouth
OF Forty Mile creek, the latest and
best find of placer mines of Alaska,
The Yukon river throws the Mississipni
in the shade for its size and its swift
waters. Below Stewart river it assumes
n magnitude not to be compared to any
other river in North America. Alose
its frozen shores aud innumcrable
islands for hundred of miles not a sicn
OF habitation could be seen. Fearful
ice gorges seem to have torn both
shores and islands in a fearful manner,
reaching for sixty miles high on land
among the alder, birch and cotton.
wood. This is done during the month
of May of each year. Here and there
appears a solitary grave of an Indian
buried like civilized people, surrounded
by n paling fence. The whole interior
OF Alaska is very sparsely inhabited
by what are known as "Stick" Indians
and Tananas, and for hospitality these
poor, diminutive creatures have no
parallel among the civilized or uncivi-
lized nations of the earth. They are
glad to see you, even to tears, and as you
leave their huts on shore and embark
again on the waters, after a few mo-
ments of Misunderstanding their plaintive
good-byes re-ccho on the waters till
distance silences their voices. The
general look of the country through
which the Yukon passes resembles tbs
Black Hills of Dakota and Montana.
Some times there are low hills and
again high mountains, with little or no
timber; pine and cottonwood are all
that can be seen, and these are stunted,
warped and twisted, fit for little bu.
firewood, and showing the fearful in.
tensity of the cold winter. In winter
the thermometer indicates from sew,
enty to ninety degrees below zero,
The Canadian Government has had
two surveying parties out this season
making Typographical observations. l
met MI. Ogilvie and his party below
Pellay river. He said that Forty-mile
river would be the British Northwest
Territory. OF course he would say
that, but l think it must be in Alaska,
snd a long way, too.
Now, as to the gold there. There is
a great deal of it, but even there it is
very much mixed up with much dirt
and gravel. l could do no sluicing, be-
cause the ground worked on Forty
mile river this year is right down close
to the waters ends. All the high bars
are covered with moss which covers
the whole Of the interior to the depth
of from one to two feet. and under this
are the frosts of ages, which hold in
their vastness dirt, gravel, gold, bed.
rock and all. making it almost out Of
the question to mine. I have, there.
fore, drawn this conclusion from my
experience here that, while l have no
doubt as to rich bars and extensive
placer mines being there, yet it is fool
ishness for men to 60 there for less
than two or three years, otherwise they
can accomplish nothing. Six of us
worked twcnty-four days and took out
81, 800, then turned and came back. l
would have stayed there if there had
been q good opportunity to mine in
good shape. He who goes to the
Yukon of Alaska must be an expert
navigator, whip-sawyer, miner, ex-
sailor and u general export,
free from all earthly cares and incnm-
ORANGES. Besides all this he must be
g%ood-natured and cheerful under all
circumstances. - John W. Allen, IN
Chicago Inter Ocean.